Playground Deja Vu
by Laurensmiles
Summary: Tim, Tyra, and Jason meet at the park with their respective sons. Future One-shot. Timeline is a little fuzzy for Will's age to work but just go with it. Tim/Tyra


Tyra sat on the swing lazily, watching Will go down the slide. Her son's cheeks were reddening as he ran up the steps for the umpteenth time. It often seemed that the kid had boundless energy.

"Timmy must be proud," Jason remarked. The uneven ground kept him a fair distance away from the swing set, but it didn't seem to bother him anymore. Noah definitely didn't care, deserting his father for Will as soon as the two boys met.

Tyra nodded. "They're really the perfect pair. Tim always has had the mindset of a seven year old, so I figure they're on level ground," she quipped.

"Very true," Jason laughed. He gestured with his fist to Noah and Will racing each other down the slide, "Look at how close they already are. You'd think they've been friends for years." Tyra could only imagine that Tim and Jason had looked quite similar as kids with both of the boys' obvious resemblances to their fathers.

"Noah's too good with Will. You'd never think he's a whole three and a half years older." It was true. She hadn't been sure how the play date would go when Jason first suggested it. Taking after his father, Will sometimes acted a bit too wise for his own good. She knew Tim wanted Jason to get a good impression even though he would never admit it out loud.

Nodding proudly, Jason grinned, "I keep telling Erin that Noah has it in him to go be a president someday. I'm telling you, he's a natural leader. And of course, Will seems to be pretty good at making friends himself. Definitely not a shy one, just like Timmy."

"Hey, hey. Don't give Tim all the credit. I never did shy very well myself," Tyra paused. "Although really, I can't always say that's a good thing," she admitted, thinking back to all the times she had been such a smartass. Hell, she still could be such a smartass.

Jason covered his mouth as he laughed, "Fair enough, Will's pulling genes from both his outspoken parents. He's the splitting image of Rigs though, just not with quite as much of the hair."

Tyra threw up her hands to stop him. "Oh no! Do not mention anything to do with the hair! Tim's been begging me to let him grow it out. I told him that my kid's not going to do the sloppy look. Ever."

"Bet he's planning to override that idea. Rigs doesn't give in about the hair," Jason chuckled.

"The day I let my son grow his hair out past his shoulders will be the day that I am dead. God help them if that happens though. Tim still can't cook a thing to save his soul," Tyra joked.

"Still trying to make Sloppy Joes in the toaster? I honestly don't know how they never set the house on fire, between him and Billy both!"

"Oh come on, do you really think I even let him touch the toaster? Crazy!" she ribbed.

"Out there spreading rumors about me, Tyra? I see how it is," Tim laughed as he appeared from the other side of the playground. He must just have arrived. He walked over lazily, intentionally heading past Jason. "Six," he drawled, giving him a little fist pump. "It's been a long time."

"Way too long, Rigs," Jason agreed. "I was just telling Tyra that you two have got yourself quite a kid over there."

"Yup, it would be just like you, Six- dishing out the compliments to my wife before you two start mocking me."

"You got me, Timmy," Jason laughed.

"I think I embedded mocking you into our vows," Tyra shrugged.

Tim nodded, walking towards her. "That sounds about right." He hesitated in front of the swing with a sly grin on his face. Then, he leaned over to kiss her. After all these years, he always greeted her with a kiss.

"You know, I always knew you two were gonna end up together," Jason shouted out from behind them as soon as Tyra and Tim's lips parted. "Could've called it years ago."

"I call BS on that one, Streeter," Tim chided, sliding into the empty swing next to her. He immediately started swinging forward. Such a little kid.

"As much as I hate to agree with him, I have to side with him here. I fully expected to end up with some business man heading off someplace extravagant like LA or New York City," Tyra confessed. She couldn't imagine pitching her current life to the seventeen year old version of Tyra Collette; she probably would have killed herself on the spot at the idea of staying in Texas, let alone ending up with Tim Riggins for good.

"Uh-oh. You're a big shot business guy in New York City these days, aren't you Jay? Maybe I outta be worried," Tim declared, widening his eyes with a faux shocked expression.

"Happily married too," Jason added, before playing along, "Or does that not matter, Tyra?" He exaggeratedly winked at her.

"Oh, both of you shut up," she laughed.

Of course, her plea only caused Tim to continue onward, "Nah, I think she'd go for married. Anything to get her away from good ole' Texas- right Tyra?"

Tyra rolled her eyes at him, grabbing at Tim's in motion swing. She stopped him. "Ha!" she shouted, as he playfully reached back at her.

"You see, that's why you're perfect for each other. I think your whole Texas Forever speech could pull in anyone, Timmy," Jason explained, watching them with an amused expression on his face

Tyra smirked. She certainly never associated the whole Texas Forever ideal with the two of them. It had been Tim's thing with Jason and Lyla. Even after all these years, she always felt distinctly separate from the trio. Anything that included Lyla Garrity still made her feel residual annoyance.

With a glance in her direction, Tim shook his head. He knew just how she felt about the whole deal. "Believe it or not, Tyra still refuses to support the Texas Forever dream."

Jason feigned shock. "No!" he exclaimed.

"I know. Its craziness," Tim nodded with his eyes wide. He looked at Tyra. "Unless you've changed your mind…"

Tyra narrowed her eyes. "I refuse to commit to any one place forever. For all you know, we'll up and move to Oklahoma once Will finishes school," she retorted.

"Oklahoma?" Both Jason and Tim replied simultaneously with disgust across their faces.

Loving to play devil's advocate, Tyra knew exactly how to play Tim Riggins and figured she could get Jason to react to this one too. Unknowingly to the both of them, she purposely picked Oklahoma to rile them up. "Yeah, you have a problem with Oklahoma?" she asked as innocently as possible.

"Oklahoma Forever," Tim muttered. "Just sounds so wrong."

Jason shook his head. "She's messin' with us. Any UT alum would never even consider living in _Oklahoma_."

With an exaggerated shrug, she continued to play innocent, "Oh, that silly football rivalry. I, of all people, could care less about football."

"Sacrilege," Tim immediately responded.

Jason laughed, "Timmy really must love you to get past that idea. No football in Will's future?" he questioned.

With the challenge displayed on her face, Tyra raised her eyebrow at Tim. "Go ahead," she gestured for him to reply.

Tim paused for a minute, his smile growing. "Hell yes, there'll be football, Six," he replied, shrugging at Tyra.

Playing along, Tyra rolled her eyes. She put up a little fight about their son playing football but only to keep up her standards. Like she'd ever take football away from Tim. Like she'd ever take football away from their equally devoted son.

"How about Noah, Streeters? We gonna have a Little Six?" Tim probed, excitedly. He still got so psyched about football.

Jason's smile widened. He gestured to Noah, who was running towards them with Will by his side. "Ask him yourself, Rigs."

"Dad, dad! This is Will Riggins," Noah insisted first. "Will, this is my dad. He's the best sports agent in the whole wide world- the one who even represents Kyle Collins," he bragged, referring to the fairly famous Dallas Cowboys running back.

With the smile still huge across his face, Jason shook his head. "Hey there, Will. Noah, you met Aunt Tyra. Well, this here is Uncle Timmy" he gestured to them enthusiastically.

"Hello," Noah reached out his hand to Tim. All the manners, just like the Jason.

"Why hello there Noah- if it's alright, I'm gonna call you Little Six- I met you before when you were just a baby. Then I met you again when you were startin' to walk around and all that. It's been awhile though. Sorry 'bout that," Tim greeted.

Between Jason's work and Noah's school, the two hardly made visits back to Texas together anymore. Tim and Tyra saw Jason sporadically over the first few years, but never visited New York together. After awhile, Jason stopped coming back as much. Still, Jason called them on the phone on the first Tuesday of every month to check-in. And yet, he'd only met Will once before now, when he was an infant.

"That's okay. Dad talks about you all the time," Noah smiled.

The declaration made Tim's entire face brighten. Being remembered by Jason, who had long past moved onto things far from Texas, meant the world to him. "Oh he does, does he?" Tim teased.

Shaking his head, Jason ignored him. He looked down at Will with a sly smile on his face, "You know what? When I first met your dad, he was about your age. You look just like him, and I hear you like football too. Your dad was one of the best football players on my team back then."

Will looked confused. "You played football?" he asked tentatively.

Tyra's face flushed with embarrassment, while Tim looked amused. Everything that Will did seemed to amuse Tim. Jason just smiled; he seemed used to everyone's reactions by now. Patiently, he nodded. "Yup, a long long time ago. But then, I had an accident so I couldn't do it anymore."

"Oh," Will answered, continuing to stare a little bit much to Tyra's displeasure.

"He used to be one of the best high school quarterbacks in the country, right Dad?" Noah bragged with a display of pride for his father.

Jason shrugged it off, "Oh, I was alright. I practiced a lot- which really-"

Tim shook his head, interrupting Jason, "Listen Little Six, your dad was easily the best high school quarterback in the country. Believe me."

Shaking his head again, Jason rolled his eyes at Tim. As much as she didn't care for football, Tyra couldn't help but smile.

"Yup, I know it. I saw his football tapes," Noah agreed. "I'm a quarterback too, and if I keep practicing, I'm gonna be the best in the country just like my dad. I'm not gonna get hurt though," he announced hurriedly.

"Sounds good to me, Little Six. Sounds good to me," Tim agreed. "You know, they say the best place in the world for football is Texas."

"Here he goes with the Texas Forever propaganda," Tyra muttered under her breath to Jason, who grinned.

"I heard that," Tim said. "I just think Little Six needs to play some Texas football. What do you say about playin some good ole football, me, you, and Will here?"

"I'd really like that, Uncle Tim," Noah politely replied, sounding just like his father.

"Yes!" Will yelled in agreement. Tyra thought about how she really outta emphasize the importance of his manners to Will after Jason and Noah's visit. Noah's politeness easily put her son's own to shame.

Tyra glanced at Jason, who sat with a half-smile on his face. She could tell he wanted to play along with them. She walked over to him as the kids raced after Tim towards his car, where he always kept a football or two. On the other side of the playground, a dry football field awaited them. "I hear that the fan scene gets pretty crazy for that Texas football," she mentioned to Jason lightly.

"Nah, it's pretty low key," Jason joked, tracing his fingers up and down his wheels.

"Ah, either way- I hear two football stars on the rise are up to beating an old one's butt. Sounds like a great time to go cheer them on?" Tyra offered, trying to make him feel included in it all.

"Will looks just like Timmy," Jason replied without really answering her. "And you know, I see how Noah looks like me too. Everyone says it. The age gap's a little bigger but honestly, if you looked fast, it could've been the two of us out there."

"Your mom gave Tim some pictures of the two of you when you guys were little. The resemblance is ridiculous," Tyra agreed. "You should be out there with them. It sucks," she murmured.

"Ah, it's okay. You know, I've taught Noah a bunch about football. He's really talented too. I wouldn't want anyone other than Timmy to help show him some more tricks," Jason replied tactfully. He really didn't look sad, just a little bit nostalgic. "Look at him, over there. I always knew he had it in him to coach real well."

Noah threw the football in the air to Will. He really could throw a nice spiral. Racing over, Tim playfully tackled Will. He barely let the kid hit the ground, just enough to make them all burst into laughter. Will and Tim pounced back up, only to move onto the next play, with Tim spouting off one or two word advice as they played. Football brought out such a passion in all three of them.

"Atta boy, Noah," Jason shouted as Noah fired off yet another beautiful pass. He turned towards Tyra. "Just look at them. It's right the way it's supposed to be," he remarked.

"Yeah," Tyra answered, clapping her hands as Will retrieved the pass. "Yeah, it sure is," she whispered as the two of them headed closer to the game. For once, Tyra couldn't even pretend not to see why everyone made such a big fuss over football. Everything was right the way it was supposed to be.


End file.
